YOUR BUSINESS ACADEMY
Engage your Team. Develop their business and leadership skills. Integrate with your planning processes. Grow from within.
Enhance the capabilities of your Team!
Learning and development is critical to the ongoing success of your business. A Shifft Academy Group will address your development needs with powerful, just-in-time solutions that move beyond simply achieving one off learning objectives.
You know that learning and development is critical to the ongoing success of your business, but many programs are too prescriptive, or don’t directly relate to the pressing issues your employees face on a daily basis.
Shifft Academies are a combination of action-orientated online and face-to-face training, combined with coaching and community support. Our Academy Program addresses the direct learning and development objectives of your Team while extending commercial benefits to the wider organisation.
1. Our commercially focused programs ensure participants ‘learn by doing’, driving internal improvements during the learning process.
2. The Program will be tailored to address real skill gaps and achieve specific commercial needs for your business - not an off-the-shelf solution.
3. Our experience has shown that attraction and retention of future leaders flow from exceptional learning and development programs.
4. We’ve found that accessing the experience and problem solving skills of a senior business coach rather than a junior facilitator brings immediate commercial benefits.
5. Your team learn just-in-time when and where they want, using a combination of online learning, webinars and face-to-face workshops.
6. Implementation of a common methodology set and "tool vocabulary" extends benefits to the wider organisation delivering a cohesive approach to problem solving, strategy development and access to a myriad of tools, templates and online courses.
7. We partner with Mindshop for our online platforms and the Academy is powered by Mindshop leveraging 25 years of expertise and experience in online learning and development solutions.
8. The system provides Individual accountability and an improved probability of strategy implementation success is achieved by embedding our Online Academy into day-to-day learning practices.
Mindshop Online Learning and Development Platform
Participants in the program receive 24/7 access to Mindshop Online, a cloud-based, learning and development platform available on PC, tablet or smart phone. This platform will allow your team to:
1. Capture and track strategies and actions to engage with Russell Cummings, their experienced coach, ensuring each individual is held accountable and is fully supported in their individual endeavours.
2. Access just-in-time learning and development from 150 different training modules customised to suit each individual’s specific skill gaps.
3. Collaborate with other Team Members and hundreds of global business leaders to solve issues and discuss common implementation challenges.
4. Access over 100 different business tools and videos to help solve problems in areas such as risk management, coaching people, strategy development, problem solving, sales and much more.
Workshops & Webinars
We will create custom workshops and/or webinars for your Team providing face-to-face and online opportunities to learn new skills, refine strategic plans, share best practice between peers and hold each other accountable to implementation goals.
Here’s an example of the broad topics that could be covered:
1. Effective planning, strategy development and problem solving
2. Productivity and profit improvement
3. Coaching and developing our people
4. Marketing, sales and growth
Usually, 4 weeks after the face-to-face workshops, key learnings will be reinforced via a 1-hour online webinar to ensure participants are staying accountable to implementation of the key strategies identified in the workshop and via ongoing coaching. These webinars can be recorded and distributed to maximise impact.
The number of workshops and webinars, and their timings, will be tailored to the specific needs and activities of your business.
Experienced Coaching Support
Each team member will receive one-to-one coaching from Russell Cummings, an experienced advisor from Shifft. Coaching support focuses on overcoming implementation challenges and capitalising on opportunities in each strategic plan. Coaching is a critical element of the program ensuring new learnings are relevant to daily objectives.
Sharing and Collaboration
It’s important that during and between the regular workshops there are multiple opportunities to share best practice between your Team members. This allows solutions discovered from one part of the business to be learnt by others. Participants also have access to a broader community forum to seek advice and learn from other’s experience.
Why Russell Cummings and Mindshop?
Russ and Mindshop are global market leaders in their relevant fields. This powerful combination ensures you gain both rapid traction and lasting positive change.
Six key features of Our Online Academy:
1. Ability to capture and track strategies and actions
Participants capture in one location all their strategies and actions from the training and coaching sessions plus any images or attachments that may be relevant. By having actions captured and visible online, coaches can ensure participants are kept accountable to achieve desired outcomes.
2. 186 high definition videos
Every Mindshop tool and course module now has a new explanatory video contributed by 12 different presenters. In addition, Russ will create custom videos and training packages for your Team, as required.
3. Access to our global discussion forum
Share best practise and gain ideas with 900+ business leaders globally. Alternatively, we can create an online Discussion Forum specifically for your Team.
4. Access hundreds of business tools
Russ, your Coach, can suggest relevant tools, diagnostics or further online courses to assist in achieving individual objectives.
5. 24/7 accessibility
All your strategies, actions, courses and support tools are available on your smartphone or tablet so you can access them whereever and whenever they are needed.
6. Personalised approach
Your Online Academy can be customised with your corporate branding for greater integration into your business and ownership from participants.
An 8-minute tour of Mindshop Online Academy
The four keys to success for Academy Groups:
1. Ensuring you’re change ready: using our change success diagnostic, we’ll ensure that participants are ready for a new approach to achieve the outcomes you are seeking from the program.
2. Finding the right blend: We take a custom approach to ensure the learning is relevant and tailored to the specific needs of participants and not generic programs delivered in isolation. Then, a powerful learning program will be delivered with the right blend of face-to-face and online elements to suit each person.
3. Practical learning: Our focus is on providing content for the workshops that is practical , forward thinking and commercial rather than theory based
4. Make it hands on: Research shows applied (or participatory) teaching methods have higher retention rates than passive teaching methods. Our workshops have high levels of group discussion, practice (through application of tools and concepts to their own business) and teaching others to improve retention and optimise outcomes.
Program Focus
Your Academy Program can be tailored to specific needs of your business and your Team. Our experience is that your Academy will grow and develop as the Program continues and your Team internalise skills, knowledge and change behaviours. We often find that within each year of the Academy there is a different focus:
Year 1: Building a firm foundation and achieving quick wins
Build a common language around strategy, problem solving tools and processes
Break down organisational silos through cross-divisional groups
Have all groups beginning to develop and be accountable for strategies via a ‘One Page Plan’
Fix burning issues or opportunities in the business
Achieve quick wins where possible to build momentum
Drive individual development plans for participants
Identify blockers, future leaders and current leaders in the organisation
Year 2: Personal and business growth
With a firm foundation laid for training participants in various business tools and processes, groups move to quarterly catch-ups with a problem-solving focus
Drive greater managerial accountability of the planning process with group members now that they understand the process
Bring next group of team members through the program and remove non-performers
Year 3 and beyond: Shared learning, development and best practice
Identify internal champions to share organisational best practice
Program is self-sufficient with internal champions driving group training and accountability for strategic plans and actions
An internal accreditation program is established to bring team members through the formal training courses (10 available)
Overall group numbers further reduced to involve only the key people supported by the program’s chairperson with intellectual property now used by internal champions to drive the groups forward and continuously improve
Example Agenda 1: Workshops can be an integral part of the Academy and a typical Workshop Agenda is outlined below. Topic: Practical strategies and tools to accelerate business growth in 2018
Example Agenda 2: Webinars are a cost-effective platform for the delivery of training and planning. We usually find that a blend of workshops and webinars is most effective. The mix between workshops and webinars will be dependent on the Objectives of your Academy, your budget and time constraints. An example Webinar is provided below.
Keys to success: your role as a Leader
To ensure the program is a success, the role of your and its leaders is critical. Key actions that need to be taken include:
1. Direct involvement and support by owners and/or senior management
2. Collaboration with the Human Resources team , if applicable, to ensure this program is complementary to existing initiatives running successfully within the organisation
3. Gather insight from the owners and/or senior management on the clear objectives and outcomes they desire from the program but that Russell Cummings and Mindshop are allowed to drive the program content and format to ensure these objectives are achieved
4. Constant re-enforcement of the use of the Academy Online platform, business tools and success stories by all senior management
5. Program is directly related to day-to-day problem solving and strategies specific to the organisation rather than being seen as ad hoc training
We will create a tailored BUSINESS ACADEMY PROGRAM specifically for your business delivered through a combination of 1-on-1 workshops, individual coaching support, webinars, online learning, video, worksheets and resources in your secure members area.
The Program is designed to BUILD BUSINESS AND LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY in your team and get them implementing your GROWTH PLANS as soon as possible, with support along the way.
The program is designed around FAST TRACKING the growth and development of your Team. It is an IMPLEMENTATION focused program.
We will create a series of WORKSHOPS and WEBINARS to deliver tailored training and to complement online training programs and resources and your internal business planning processes. Workshop/Webinar timing will be customised for your business.
EVERY DAY your team will have your QUESTIONS ANSWERED by Russ via the online Coaching Platform or by their peers in our online Discussion Forum.
Your Team will have 24/7 ACCESS to our online ACADEMY RESOURCE CENTRE which is full of training programs, 150 x tools, templates, diagnostic tools, webinars, videos and an individual Coaching Area for each Team Member.
Real Customers. Real Reviews.
We know you’ve got questions. We’ve got some answers.
Below you’ll find answers to the most asked questions about starting our Academy Programs. If you don’t find your answer, then contact us as we’re happy to answer any questions you have.
Developing the skills and knowledge of your Team is a longer term commitment – not a short term fix. We usually find that you will be looking at a commitment of at least 2-3 years, especially as you consider that your team will be constantly changing and evolving.
During the Academy Program, your Team can ask questions of Russ through the online Coaching Area. You can also ask business questions to global Discussion Forum to get answers from Russ and your peers.
The Business Owner/CEO will have direct access to Russ via phone/email/txt for the duration of the program.
Each session will be delivered online using GotoWebinar (or similar technology). Your team can access the sessions on their desktops, tablets or smartphone (using the GotoWebinar app). They will need internet access, speakers and microphone (headsets are ok).
Yes. This program has been developed over 30 years of coaching high-performing businesses in a range of industries and sectors and builds on the experience of Mindshop in creating global training and development programs over the last 25 years The Academy Program is a tailored support program designed to accelerate the growth of any business.
We have helped our clients add over $200M in sales in the last 10 years.
It is not “industry specific” in that it won’t focus on the technical aspects of your business e.g. window cleaning, OHS, etc but will focus on management, marketing and sales to help you drive growth in your team. However, we will tailor our webinars and workshops specifically for your business.
The Shifft Programs are built around 3 core elements: STRATEGY, CAPABILITY and IMPLEMENTATION. Without all 3 elements, your plans are doomed to failure.
Russell Cummings, our Head Coach, has over 32 years experience at working with business owners and managers across a range of industries from start up to mature businesses. We specialise in working with family and privately owned businesses that want to grow. Our current client base in located across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
Your investment for the Academy Program will vary depending on the number of participants, workshops, webinars and your location. We will tailor a program to meet your budget and needs.
Your investment will be a fixed price investment that will be charged in Australian Dollars (AUD$) regardless of your location. GST is only applicable to Australian businesses and will not be charged for international clients.
To discuss potential options and pricing, book a 20-minute call with Russ.
A great question. Although every business is different and there are no guaranteed outcomes, we would expect that you should aim for a 10x ROI. We know this is achievable as we have helped our clients add over $200M in sales over the last decade.
Most people are concerned that a Coach is going to come into their business and start telling them what to do. Quite rightly, this is not a recipe for a good relationship.
A good coaching relationship is based on trust and collaboration. You bring the detailed knowledge of your business and industry and we will bring over 33 years of experience in business, great tools and processes and good general business skills. Together we will grow your business.
It all starts with a plan which is why the Initial Group Planning Session is really important. Russ will facilitate the development of a plan to get you started. You will build on elements of this plan over the next 6 months – implementing as you go. This plan will guide your coaching and training activities.
In addition to the Group Coaching sessions, you can also ask questions of Russ via email or through the dedicated LinkedIn Group.
There are no specific limits on how many people for an Academy. To be cost effective, you will probably need a minimum of 6 people to get traction with an Academy. There is no upper limit on numbers.
Your Team will need an internet-equipped computer, tablet or smartphone to access the online Resource Centre. Computers will need a sound card and speakers and a microphone (a headset will do) for webinars.
The private Coaching Area and the Toolbox are accessible via our smartphone app although online training is currently not available on the app and will need to be accessed via browser on a tablet or computer.